Faculty Of Legal Studies - Introduction
At the time of creation of Pakistan in 1947, there were hardly three or four law colleges in the country. Gradually the number grew appreciably but the standard of education has deteriorated. In the absence of a full time faculty and full time educational and research facility, the law schools lack quality of education as there is no system of tutorial, class discussions, assignments and no research-oriented personalized attention.
A center of excellence for law requires full-time course based on semester system, a committed faculty, a good library,individualized attention with supervision, a curriculum which keeps pace with the development of law in various fields at the national and international levels and the required atmosphere of a teaching and research institution.
Realizing the urgent need for a center of excellence for law,Hamdard University, on the initiative of its former Chancellor,Justice (R) Ajmal Mian, former Chief Justice of Pakistan, and the then Vice Chancellor, decided to establish a full-time school of law at Karachi with a commitment to excel both in teaching and research. The Hamdard School of Law therefore ,as a constituent institution of the Hamdard University opened for admission in January 2001.
The Law School provides legal studies graduate courses culminating in the LL.B Law degree. Unlike other institutions offering the LL.B. courses in evening lecture sessions, the Hamdard School of Law is the exceptional Pakistani institution offering a full-time semester based course.
Hamdard University’ LL.B degree course is based on syllabus approved by the Pakistan Bar Council, and additionally, offers courses in English Legal Language, Information Technology,History and Understanding of Law, which are considered essential for law students, and legal practitioners in the modern world. The subjects of Environmental and Intellectual Property Law have also been introduced in the second and third year of the LL.B. course. On successful completion of the prescribed credit hours in Information Technolog y, students a re awarded diploma in the subject. Computer lab facilities are available to students.
The teaching system which is based on participator pedagogic methodology, includes lectures, tutorials, class discussions, seminars, assignments and such related exercises which contribute to the development of lawyering
skills. In the teaching system, emphasis is given to small group classes and tutorials, the desired aim being individual attention to students. A good law library is available on school premises, which is open 12 hours a day. Additionally,the students also have the benefit of the following useful exposures before the completion of the three-year course:
- Mock Courts
- Court Visits
- Visits to Jails and Care Homes
- Visits to Lawyers’ Chambers
The Law School operates a semester schedule for the LL.B. course within a three year time frame as required by the Pakistan Bar Council. There are two main semesters per academic year, the fall semester and the spring semester which are of eighteen weeks’ duration each and are programmed for study courses based on syllabus requirements .
In addition to success in the semester-wise examinations,students are required to complete the prescribed number of class hours for attaining the LL.B. degree .In order to fulfill its objectives of providing and promoting study and research in the field of law and allied subjects, the following Boards have been established:
- Advisory Board
- Executive Board
The executive Board is entrusted to look after the administration and management of the School. The main function of the Advisory Board shall be, to extend guidance to the Law School on policy matters with the prime objective to develop the Law School as a leading “Centre of Excellence of Law and Research” in the country and international recognition of the credentials, the degrees and diplomas awarded by the Law School.
